פירוש על במדבר 22:24

במשעול — Understand this as the Targum does: IN A PATH. And similar is, (1 Kings 20:10) “If the dust of Samaria shall suffice לשעלים” — the dust that attaches itself to the soles of peoples’ feet when they walk. And similarly, (Isaiah 40:12) “Who hath measured the water בשעלו” — with his feet and through his walking (as one measures by pacing).

Unless specified otherwise גדר refers to a barrier of stone. Since below it is written (v. 25), “And pressed him against הקיר ["the wall"]” with a hei denoting the definite article, this implies that it was the same barrier that had been mentioned previously. Re’m explains similarly. [We see that] a קיר ["wall"] is always made of stone because in Parshas Metzora it is written, “Behold the affliction is in the walls of the house” (Vayikra 14:37) and afterwards it is written, “Remove the stones” (v. 40) which implies that the wall was made from stone. Consequently, קיר ["wall"] here, which refers to the barrier mentioned above, was made from stones (see Bava Kamma 29a).

V. 24. במשעול הכרמים. Die Bedeutung der Wurzel ”שעל“ ist nicht ganz sicher. Nach unserer Stelle verglichen mit: אם ישפק עפר שמרון לשעלים לכל העם (Kön. I. 20. 16) und מי מדד בשעלו מים (Jes. 40, 12) scheint שעל einen Fuß oder Schritt als Maß zu bedeuten, und משעול ist ein enger Pfad, welchen man nur schrittweise durchgehen kann. Dunkel jedoch bleibt dabei בשעלי שעורים (Jechesk. 13, 19). Vielleicht heißt שועל Fuchs, als Pfadschleicher zwischen Weinbergen, denen eben Füchse so verderblich werden. גדר, umgrenzen, ist verwandt mit כתר: dem umgrenzenden, von allen andern abschließenden Reif: die Krone (vergl. זֵר von ”זור“).